December 2006

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Departments

Jaron's World: Frozen in Time

Birth reveals the transitional nature of the design.
by Jaron Lanier

20 Things You Didn't Know About... Rats

Jack Black the royal rat catcher, Jacko the world-champion rat killer, rats who mate more than once a minute, and more
by Liza Lentini and David Mouzon

Reviews

Glimpses of nature in a New York photography show; Lego's robot kit; order a tank on Amazon.com.

Raw Data: Is Cancer the Price of Longevity?

The same protein that prevents cancer may also encourage aging.
by Jessica Ruvinsky

Map: Shiny, Happy People

National mirth rates are uncovered.
by Jennifer Barone

Natural Selections: Life After the Wave

Dramatic photos show how the tsunami devastated Sri Lanka's landscape, but ecologists predict it will recover.
by Mary C. Pearl

Peer Review: Fighting the Terrorist Virus

If terrorism is cultivated by modern media, how do we fight it?
by Douglas Rushkoff

Letters

Readers duke it out over the fate of science and react to DISCOVER's interview with Newt Gingrich

Blinded by Science: Birding Brains

How birding in Central Park in an age of terror makes the man
by Bruno Maddox

Vital Signs: Bugs Are Crawling In My Skin

Skin eruptions mystify both doctor and patient.
by Claire Panosian Dunavan